| Bayinnaung ဘုရင့်နောင် |
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| Reign | 11 January 1551 - November 1581 (30 years, 10 months) |
| Coronation | 12 January 1554 |
| Predecessor | Tabinshwehti |
| Successor | Nanda |
| Consort | Thakingyi |
| Issue | |
| Nanda Nyaungyan |
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| Full name | |
| Shin Ye Htut | |
| House | Toungoo |
| Father | Minkyiswe |
| Mother | Shin Myo Myat |
| Born | February 1516 (ME: 12 Waxing of Tabodwe 877) |
| Died | November 1581 (ME: Full Moon of Tazaungmon 943) (aged 65) Pegu |
| Burial | Pegu |
| Religion | Theravada Buddhism |
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This article contains Burmese script. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of Burmese characters. |
Bayinnaung (Burmese: ဘုရင့်နောင်; IPA: [bayìnnaʊ̀n]; lit. the King's Elder Brother, known in Portuguese as Braginoco, and in the Thai language as Burinnaung or Burengnong (Thai: พระเจ้าบุเรงนอง) was a king of the Toungoo dynasty in modern-day Myanmar. He is widely revered in the country, and is best known for unifying the kingdom and conquering the Shan States, Siam and Laos. He is also well-known in Thailand on account of a popular song and a popular book both titled "Phu Chana Sip Thit" meaning "the Conqueror of Ten Directions."
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Early life
The legend holds that Bayinnaung was born to a couple living near Pagan, and was named Shtet. Shtet's mother later moved to Toungoo to become Prince Mintra's milkmaid. At Toungoo, Shtet was married to Mintra's sister. Prince Mintra was then crowned as King Tabinshweti of Toungoo in 1531. As an acquinted childhood friend to the king, Shtet gained the royal trust and was made Bayinnaung Kyawhtin Nawrahta (Bayinnaung means "the royal brother-in-law and Kyawhtin Nawrahta was the title of crown prince) - the Uparaja.
After the failed campaign against Ayutthaya in 1548, Tabinshweti lost his momentum and suffered mental illness. The Crown Prince Bayinnaung then took control of state affairs to protect the kingdom. Smim Htaw, a son of the last Mon king of Pegu, staged a rebellion and Tabinshweti himseld was assassinated in 1550 by Smim Sawhtut - his close Mon advisor who was also of Pegu dynasty descent. Smim Sawhtut then crowned himself as the king of Pegu but found himself also under competition with Smim Htaw. Smim Htaw led the Mon armies to assault Pegu and was able to execute Smim Sawhtut after three months of rule.
Reconquest of Burma (1550-1555)
Bayinnaung was the name conferred by his brother-in-law King Tabinshwehti, the founder of the Second Burmese Empire, nearly 3 centuries after the fall of Bagan in 1287 to the Mongol invasion under Kublai Khan. After Tabinshwehti was assassinated by Mon members of his court in Pegu in 1550, Bayinnaung fought to recover Tabinshwehti's kingdom retaking Toungoo and Prome in 1551, Pegu, Martaban, and Bassein in 1552, and finally Ava in 1555.
Shan States and Chiang Mai (1557-1558)
After he had retaken both Upper Burma and Lower Burma, he led a military expedition northwards to the Shan region and took Mong Mit, Hsipaw, Yawnghwe, Mong Yang, and Mogaung in 1557.
The following year he marched to Mong Nai (1557) and then the Lanna kingdom of Chiang Mai (Zin Mè 1558) taking both cities. In 1563 he conquered the Chinese Shans of Mong Mao.
Ayutthaya (1564-1569)
In 1563, Bayinnaung launched another campaign against the kingdom of Ayutthaya, capturing the capital in 1569 despite widespread opposition and resistance among the Siamese. Siam, in effect, became a vassal state of the Toungoo kingdom, and thousands were taken back to Burma as war captives.
Starting in the late 1560s several European travellers such as Cesar Fedrici and Gaspero Balbi travelled to Pegu, the capital of Burma, and left detailed descriptions of Bayinnaung's kingdom in their travel journals (See external links below).
Lan Xang (1570s)
In the 1570s Bayinnaung marched against the kingdom of Lan Xang (Lin Zin) in modern day Laos. The king of Lan Xang, Setthathirat, and the inhabitants of the capital Vientiane fled to the jungle where they resisted the invasion.
Bayinnaung pursued them into the jungle, but warfare in the jungle proved difficult. The enemy was difficult to find and engage in battle. Failing to achieve decisive control over Lan Xang, Bayinnaung returned to Burma.
When Bayinnaung returned to Lan Xang in 1574 he tried to lure the inhabitants back to the capital and rebuild the kingdom under a ruler of his choice.
An expedition was also sent to reassert control over the Shan state of Mogaung in the far north in 1576.
Bayinnaung's death (1581)
On the eve of his death in 1581 Bayinnaung was preparing to launch an attack against the coastal kingdom of Arakan. Bayinnaung was succeeded by his son Nanda Bayin. During his son's reign, the empire that Bayinnaung had constructed was dismembered, and Siam was liberated by Prince Naresuan after Bayinnaung's death.
Legacy
- As conqueror of predecessor of Thailand, he was well-known by the Thai people, and often with respect. Chote Praepan (pen name "Jacob"), an influential Thai journalist and author expanded his story into an epic historical fiction, "ผู้ชนะสิบทิศ" or "Puchana Sib Tid", literally winner (conqueror) of the ten directions.
- The Thai novel later spawned a tv and a movie series. The song of the same name from the movie series, performed by Charintra Nanthanakorn, remains one of the most recognizable and popular songs in Thailand.
References
External links
- The Changing Nature of Conflict between Burma and Siam as seen from the Growth and Development of Burmese States from the 16th to the 19th Centuries, by Pamaree Surakiat,Mar 2006, Asia Research Institute, Singapore.
- Biography of King Bayinnaung (r. 1551-1581), by U Thaw Kaung.
- Account of Pegu (c. 1569), by Cesar Fedrici.
- Voyage to Pegu, and Observations There, Circa 1583, Gaspero Balbi
- A king of Burma and the Sacred Tooth Relic
- The Flight of Lao War Captives from Burma back to Laos in 1596:A Comparison of Historical Sources Jon Fernquest, Mae Fa Luang University, SOAS bulletin, Spring 2005
- The Kinder Side of a Burmese King The Back Page, The Irrawaddy, February 2007
- Thai-Burmese Historical Film Breaks Box Office Records Khun Sam, The Irrawaddy, January 25 2007
- Thai Tourists in Burma Sai Silp, The Irrawaddy, February 2007
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Bayinnaung
Born: February 1516 Died: November 1581 |
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| Regnal titles | ||
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| Preceded by Tabinshwehti |
King of Burma January 1551 - November 1581 |
Succeeded by Nanda |
| Royal titles | ||
| Preceded by Tabinshwehti |
Heir to the Burmese Throne 1531 - 1550 |
Succeeded by Nanda |
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